Page 152 of Dating Goals
“Sorry,” Lars gasps. “It’s freezing out there.”
“We were listening at the door,” Colin admits shamelessly.
“You better go with him,” Evan exclaims. “Or we’ll throw you over his shoulder ourselves.”
I stare at them. “I can’t expect you to run my bar.”
“We already do,” Lars points out.
“I can do the bookkeeping,” Colin says.
“I can be manager and bouncer,” Evan adds.
“And I,” Lars says with a grand gesture, “will continue to dazzle the tourists with my fire tricks.”
“See?” Griffin grins. “Problem solved.”
“But…my mother,” I protest weakly. “I can’t leave her alone.”
Griffin clears his throat. “Actually, I was hoping she might want to come too. I’ve already looked into visa options.”
“No thank you,” comes my mother’s voice as she breezes back in. “I’m quite happy here in Grächen. I could use some peace and quiet for once.”
I turn to stare at her. “Mama? You were listening too?”
“Of course.” She waves a dismissive hand. “The whole village is listening.”
I glance toward the windows and, sure enough, several curious faces are peering in. They duck out of sight when I spot them.
“As long as Griffin promises to take your record collection with you,” my mother continues. “I’m looking forward to listening to Yanni in peace.”
I look around at all of them, feeling overwhelmed. “What would I even do in Toronto? I’d want to earn my keep.”
Griffin’s eyes light up. “You could open your own kung fu studio. Or teach women self-defense.” He squeezes my hands. “And we’ll spend summers here when hockey season is off. Switzerland is my second home now.”
A tear slides down my cheek, and he catches it with his thumb.
“And who knows what the future may bring?” His eyes twinkle. “The world might need saving again someday.”
I laugh despite myself. “So what, we’ll be international crime-fighters in our spare time?”
“Why not? We make a pretty good team. I’m hoping MI6 will trick out my Bugatti with spy gadgets.”
I look down at our intertwined hands, then back up at his hopeful face. Everything inside me is screaming to say yes, to take this chance, to leap into the unknown with this man who loves me.
“Okay,” I whisper finally.
Griffin’s face breaks into the biggest smile I’ve ever seen. “Okay?”
“Yes,” I say, stronger this time. “I’ll go with you.”
He pulls me into his arms, lifting me off the ground and spinning me around.
I pull back from Griffin’s embrace, suddenly very aware of my unwashed state. The potent mix of patchouli oil, sticky beer residue from the table, and what might be three days of no showering hits me with full force.
“Wait,” I say, taking a step back. “You might want some distance. I smell like a health food store that’s been set on fire.”
Griffin’s eyes crinkle at the corners as he tugs me back into his arms. “I don’t care.”
